Qualifying for the State Meet

First and second place finishers in all individual and relay events shall qualify for the State Meet.

By Standard

During the Region Meet

Whenever an athlete meets or exceeds the standard in either the field events or the running events in either the preliminaries, semifinals, or finals of the regional track meet, then that athlete shall qualify for the State Meet regardless of the place finish or regardless of whether the athlete even qualified for the finals or regardless of whether the athlete participates in the finals.

Regular Season Qualifying

If the coach is going to have an athlete participate in an event at the State Meet who has met or exceeded the qualifying standard at a sanctioned meet, then that must be the event or events they are entered in at the Region Meet (limit of four events). The athlete does not have to participate at the Region Meet to participate at the State Meet.

If a relay team qualified, a relay must be entered in the Region Meet. Any four names may appear on the relay card.

If the qualified athlete does not participate at the Region Meet he/she still has the option to participate at the State Meet along with the other Region Meet qualifiers as established by the SDHSAA.

NOTE: The athletes that qualified at the sanctioned meet do not have to run or participate in the event at the Region Meet. The standard that will be sent to the state by the Region chairperson will be the time, distance, or height set at a sanctioned meet or Region Meet, whichever is better.

Lane placement for the State Meet will be based upon the fastest reported time run in the Region Meet (whether it be the preliminaries, semis, or the finals) or at a qualifying meet.

NOTE: Region Chairperson is instructed to record prelims/semis time (if run) and finals time and season qualifying time on the report forms and cards. Region standard qualifier times must also be noted.

Participation in the Finals

Field Events

Finals are an extension of the preliminaries in place designation. An athlete who qualifies for the finals may pass his/her jumps or throws in the finals and still place based upon performance in the prelims.

Running Events

The finals are not an extension of the preliminaries insofar as place designation is concerned. If an athlete has broken the standard during the season or in the preliminaries and chooses not to compete in the finals, then the athlete shall not receive any points for his/her team or a place in the event. However, if said athlete chooses not to compete in the finals, then he/she will still qualify for the State Meet because the standard was met or exceeded during the season or in the preliminaries. The SDHSAA strongly urges both coaches and athletes not to abuse the "qualifying by standard" rule by not participating even though entered at the Region Meet by scratching out of the finals or deliberately false starting in the finals just to save themselves for a later event.